A
lavishly produced hardback with a cover the soft feel of a loaf of bread,
this book feels as good as it looks.

Relating
the history of an Irish bakery, it is also a social history of the town
of Cappoquin and its environs. The book gathers together interviews with
over a hundred residents of the area including the oldest 96 year-old
customer. He is one of many who survived wars and remembers flour and
petrol shortages. All have vivid memories of going to the bakery to collect
bread, some having it delivered by pony and trap. They conjure up the
warm bakery scents wafting through the streets, the jars of sweets in
the shop, the trays of bracks, Chester cake and the marking of the seasons
with sweet treats. Through good times and bad, Barrons was always there.

The
book is a testament to the tenacity of Joe Barron (1904-1980) and his
daughter Esther and her husband Joe Prendergast who developed the bakery
to its full potential while keeping the original Scotch brick ovens, the
only in Ireland still in use. These ovens, along with time-honoured hand-moulding
of favourites such as their plain loaves (turnovers) with the traditional
rounded top and a crust loved by many when it is almost burned to a toffee
crispness. There are also cobs, round hand-shaped loaves, seed loaves,
blaas, soda bread and spotted dog and Irish barm brack.

Today,
though suffering some of the ill-effects of the current recession, Barrons
bakery thrives and this book is its celebration of 125 years in business
in the current premises and over four generations.

The
book includes charming old photographs and others taken during a night
in the hectic, hot bakery. The photographer is emerging talent and award
winning Arna Run Runarsdottir who captured the essence of the process
of producing a wide range of delicious breads while the rest of the town
sleeps.

Recipes
for how to use up leftover bread, along with Mrs Barron's popular recipe
are also included.

Our Daily
Bread -
A History of Barron's Bakery

Author:
Roz Crowley

Photography:
Arna Run Runarsdottir

Price: 25
euro

160
pages, hardback.
Full colour.

*
No 2 on Bestseller List for hardback non-fiction

Gourmand
World Cookbook Award winner 2011

Book of the Week
Irish Times 30 April. "Roz Crowley interviewed more than 100 people associated with the bakery
for this book, and the stories from family members, staff and customers
make for fascinating reading."
Marie-Claire Digby
Irish Times.

"Your
book touched me in many ways, it is the wonderful result of deep work
on bread. The title is important in all its meanings, quite international,
actually universal. Thank you for giving so much pleasure to the readers
of your book."

Edouard
Cointreau
President and Founder Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

Food & Wine Magazine"This book delineates
the four generation history of the family-run Barron's Bakery in Cappqouin,
Co Waterford, a fixture of the Irish baking scene for over a century.
With beautiful photography, interviews from patrons, memories from the
kitchen and recipes for everything from Mrs Barron's bread and butter
pudding to mushroom soup in a blaa, it's a foodie read that is so warming
the aroma of fresh-baked bread practically oozes from the pages. F&W loves
Stuffed tomatoes (page 125)."

June 2011

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